If you’re sitting in a cafe, sending the laughing-with-tears emoji, wearing skinny jeans, and have side-parted hair, I have news for you: you’re ancient. Or at least that’s what the Tik-Tok and Instagram Reels-obsessed Gen Z is saying about millennials. The generation wars are on.
If we wanted to largely divide the world into Boomers and non-Boomers; we’ve miserably failed. Those below the age of 24 want nothing to do with millennials, the generation that’s been culturally dictating what’s hot and what’s not for over a decade now. Our millennial monopoly seems to be ending. We now listen to the latest chart-toppers and can’t help but go ‘Tch tch tch, ‘Is this music?’, ‘Humare zamane mein toh…’, echoing exactly what our parents used to say about our own playlists.
We’ve long been scoffing over the ‘cringey’ TikTok-churning Gen Z kids — they listen to music that can hardly qualify as such, refuse to acknowledge the benefits of avocado toast, and haven’t led the overly-romanticised ’90s life. Even their generation’s Pokémons have nothing over the Bulbasaur and Squirtles of the world, and have grown up bereft of the magic of low-budget programmes of our youth such as ‘Son Pari‘ and ‘Hatim‘. In this generation war, the millennials are too obsessed with changing the world (or just changing Boomers), while Gen Z wants to ‘chill’.
Also read: Millenials love discussing Mercury retrograde on Instagram, but scoff at jyotish predictions
Millennials are ‘lame’
To be fair, Gen Z members do raise some important issues about the millennial generation. Junior millennials do tend to cling on to the ’90s way more than they should, especially given the fact that a lot of us weren’t old enough then to make any cherish-able long-term memories. But one must understand the appeal of the ’90s — it was the transitory period from the pre-internet to the post-internet era, when information was handsy if not readily available 24×7, and this makes the millennials the only generation that can boast about living through two different eras in their youth. They are truly the children of Marx and Coca-Cola.
Gen Z also takes umbrage with how being a Harry Potter buff counts as a valuable personality trait for most millennials. And perhaps we do assign too much value to what a fictitious hat had to say about students in a magic school. But they haven’t grown up on a book series where the protagonists literally grow up with you, and don’t know what real fandom based on real culture — not just the internet — looks like.
Millennials, as per Gen Z, also need to check the emojis that they’re using in their texts. Apparently, using the ‘tears of joy’ emoji as a way to call something hilarious is now passé because it’s been used to death and doesn’t qualify as being funny anymore. As one “internet linguist” explained, “Tears of Joy was a victim of its own success”.
Boomers don’t need to worry about decoding ‘Lols’ and ‘Rofls’ either, because now nonsensical phrases like ‘dffksnsj’ — texts that sound like a butt-dial — are the new way kids are expressing that they’re indeed laughing. No wonder millennials are having that eye-roll moment for ‘kids these days’.
Also read: 2020 saw cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin gain momentum in India, thanks to male millennials
We’re the toughest generation
Coming back to the skinny jeans — dear Gen Z, if you’ve worn them, you should know what millennials are made of if we’re willing to spend our entire lives in those uncomfortable pants just to look fashionable.
You want to come at us with your jibes on Twitter take-downs and memes? Honey, who do you think mastered the art of internet memes first?
In my view, millennials are the generation that has received the most hate, whether from the older ‘Boomer’ generation who insists we are self-involved “snowflakes” riddled with mental health issues and bad work ethic, or from the younger lot who think we’re too basic because we don’t understand their inexplicable ways.
But we’ll continue to preach love to a world that’s been only and only cruel to us.
If you’re watching your shows on an OTT platform today, it’s because we started the trend of pirated content to give things mass popularity first. If you’re gaining some clout on TikTok today, it’s because we started the culture of social media as we know it and elevated the reach of micro-influencers. We gave you a world where it was okay to have a bad mental health day and be unapologetic about your PMS and bloating. You do you. We created the culture you’re telling us we’re too old for.
Around the world, millennials have defied their image of ‘couch potatoes’ to get on the road and protest against everything from authoritarianism, climate change, to human rights. We’re demanding a better world for the future generations, without the passivity of the generations that came before us — although every new generation says this.
The world we inherited was difficult — most of us entered the workforce in a recessionist economy — and we’re trying the best we can. Gen Z should remember that their baggy jeans and middle-parted hair are all part of fashion’s cyclical nature, in other words — we’ve been there and done that.
Oh, and look out, Generation Alpha is coming.
Views are personal.
Again? Lol, nobody cares about you speshul snowflake pussies and your first world problems deal with it.
Ew, normies.
Ok pleb, but nobody cares about your stupid normie wars, lol.
Incase Gen Z forgot….Gen Alpha is right behind ya !!!!!
They probably won’t reach adulthood ?
Nice. Quit trying to force a divide you swine. I’m down with millennials, and I’m pretty sure they’re down with us. But sure keep trying to start a culture war. You’ll just end up being the ones forgotten 😛
You’re generation started talking shit first…
Literally nobody above room temperature IQ believes this. Gen Z here: this manufactured “culture war” is total poppycock. Nobody I know in my generation is actively shittalking millenials. No millenials I know are actively shittalking gen Z. We all hate boomers not each other you swine. Quit trying to force a rift.
Don’t forget us Gen Xers don’t exist.
We didn’t even get a full generation before Gen Y came in.
Now ever year there seems to be a new ‘generation’.
More like pop culture trend. Bleh.
We do exist lol, there’s even a book: Generation X, by Douglas Coupland.
Man it’s good to be generation x!
Tribalism nonsense. I’ve never understood why people try to divide themselves into cliques. Try being a person first. An individual. The vast majority of everyone has done absolutely NOTHING of any real value. The only thing millennials did was create cancel culture. Worthless.
The comment section is even funnier than the bullshit itself. We, gen z, are amazing and there’s nothing anyone can do about it? I’m kidding of course, calm down boomers hrhdbfbbf. But this article must have been written by a millennial because your tone seems very pointed right now. (if you get the reference, i love you). Nevertheless, I think we shouldn’t be hating on each other, but we should work together to make the word a better place, and eat the rich.
Sounds like a boomer wrote this to try and divide the only generations who have ever cared about the future, environment or bigotry in politics. Good try, but your time is over. Real millenials and Gen Z are the entrepreneurial, hard working and caring people who will make real change. Not crying over “coolness”.
Where do I like a comment here?
Um, rhe 1990s was the internet era. I worked at an ISP after school from sophomore to senior year in high school (1996-1998). By 1998, I had an mp3 collection. When I went to college (1998-2002), we had broadband access in the dorms and off campus. Pirating media was commonplace. I first connected to the internet over a mobile phone in 1996. BitTorrent and other P2P file sharing services were flourishing.
Then again, I am of Generation X, so I may not even exist.
What? Young people think older people are uncool? Jesus what a new and interesting idea that totally hasn’t been covered ever before ever. Astounding. Please, I need MORE articles about this please. /s
This is all ridiculous. We will see soon who is the coolest of the cool. It’s obvious. It’s the Democratic Boomers. Always have been, always will be.
Being cool means being smart, finding your way without violence, theft, respect for the ones who feed you. Being cool means growing not acting like irresponsible babies…like it or not your “look” doesn’t define you. Your hope, work, caring for others besides yourselves…all gone.. this provokes disgust with we proud boomers. We have so much power you in your current state of mind..no power, no money, crying like babies all of the time…yeah, real cool you are.
Another consideration we are brave, we are tough. We are not afraid of you as we know that most of the nation won’t put up with your needy, creepy
ways.
You want help out of this. Better apologize, better look to us for advice, and better take that advice. You take, you don’t give back…you want but don’t want to share, want, want, want. That’s what these youngsters should be called, The Wanters….never enough…treat your parents and grand parents like dirt, all the while asking them for money, shelter, food…you are LAZY. A very bad thing to be when you need to excel.
And the worst of all IT IS YOU WHO ARE THE ENTITLED ONES at least that is how you behave.
Well it’s over now…go home…get a job…ask us for nothing…cause that is exactly what you will get from us The Liberal BOOMERS. And you can forget the Republicans hahaha…they would put you all in prisons for profit…lots of fun stuff goes on there!!
You’ve got 1 month on my calendar to shut up..admit you need us, and apologize. Then, Won’t hire you…won’t help you with money or my time.
All my time will now be focused on taking you down…down like you’ve never felt. There are many ways to do this…we will start with your parents and grandparents…they don’t like you or your disrespect either…so once they are convinced ( which is coming) that they truly are hurting you not helping you, they will turn to tough love…THIS means no money, no bail outs from jail…no signatures so you can buy a car, or anything.. from strangers or respected adults…no job references…no letters with glowing compliments for your selfish, lazy little fools.
ONE MONTH.
So we’re supposed to believe this? this coming from the flashback generation????the same ones that made fun of our boomers? Sorry but as an adult this is type of disrespect is irrelevant to me…I wear whatever the hell I want, if they can’t accept people for being different then we have failed as humans collectively
What a load of self-congratulatory tripe.
Every generation sucks get over yourself
Lol lol
You’re all lame. Generations are generally every 30 years. Gen Zers haven’t been born yet. What difference does it make anyway. Just be glad to be alive and live your best life. Stop with the labels. It’s why we are all divided in this country now.
This is stupid! Is this news or some teens gossip blog?
You can all be thankful you are not Gen X, the generation no one wants to consider.
The boomers told us to wait our turn then the Gen Y came along and said they don’t want to wait when they haven’t waited as long.
Now along comes Z and A to tell the others that THEIR time is over, but meanwhile we Gen Xers are STILL waiting.
Screw all of them.
Lmao this post prove our point Like did we hurt you , you poor little things ? Awww
Modi ne India me TikTik hi bamd krdia hai. Kuch jinkr skte h is ladai me. Warna popcoron lekr matinee show ka maja lete
Millennials is the only generation which got close to a semblance of hard work in India. Unfortunately Gen Z is too steeped in socialism and activism like boomers. Not that millennials don’t have lazy bunch among them but they are not as proportional as in Gen Z and boomers.
Who hurt you? Dfjsktfgsfks
You just sounding sour
Ikr
I mean Julius Caesar got serious criticism because he wore his togas too loose. I’m a late-ish millennial and honestly I’m just done. Most of the Gen Z people I know are really thoughtful; they’re growing up in a world where information and different points of view are readily accessible. That’s a huge advantage, and I’m really glad that they have it. I’m not going to pitch a fit over light mockery of general superficial shit.
Also “handsy” describes a teenage boy in a movie theater circa 1955. You want the word handy.
It’s a tad egotistical to think millennials care about if you find them cool or not. We really don’t. Just like GenZ probably doesnt care if a bunch of elementary school kids think they’re cool. That’s how we see it.
That being said, we’ve done this. We wore everything you’re trying to wear not. We had baggy jeans and a middle part. With a zigzag!
One day some kid born in 2015 will call a GenZ lame, and change their emojis on them too. It’s the circle of life. That doesn’t stop me from thinking GenZ culture is trash tho. There’s a reason most of them romanticize the 90s. It WAS better. Technology is better now but not the music, tv, pop culture in general.
How about we just leave the kids alone? They’re still figuring out who they’re supposed to be. We could just choose to be the generations to not harp on each other needlessly and actually build each other up. After all, we’re all just figuring things out.
Thanks mom.
Tryong to choose between millenials and genZ is like choosing between being bored to death, and being annoyed to death. Like every generation, you are both the worst. The best people of any generation, tend to not respond to the norms and social cues of what’s going on around them. Regardless of your age or upbringing, remember: statistically, most people around you are not smart, not interesting, and definitely not useful
All these people here complaining about things the article didn’t say or implied just because you’re butthurt for some reason. Just confirms the generational attrition. Fuck you all, I say it’s a good article, and I’m generation Z as well.
Trickle down Colonialism
Millenial age 27 – You guys should be able to hate us, but why is this arctle doing it now? I dont care about generations war right now. We should unify. I’m worried about real world problems like getting food to my community during these times. I’d rather work together with Z and that head line of the arctle was another was to get boomers off the hook because the shit storm they made. We have children starving to death in Texas. That’s not right. Boomers made me suppress that I was non binary, wasted my life serving them at stores and senior homes -I’m gonna get back at them by dismantling what they loved. Their system.
That’s so true! I agree.
I’m sorry to burst your millennial bubble, but believe it or not, I’m gen Z. I was born in the early 2000s and remember VHS tapes. I remember half the stuff you brag about us knowing nothing about. Thank you so very much for stereotyping me along with all the annoying tik-tokers who ruin good music from the 70s with their annoying challenges.
Ya look like someone just called u uncool so ur just ranting it out here lmao. Good back to ur egoistic hole bc no one started any war lmfao. “Preaching love” my ass. Here u r tryna roast me while u think ur “preaching love”. Honestly, just grow up & go rant to ur friend or smth, if u have one
Amen
As expected, millennials take all the credit where it isn’t due. Claiming things that they have no right to claim. And being overly defensive about their own drawbacks – some of which are imagined.
Forgetting conveniently that there is a small but forgotten Generation in between, called Gen X which shaped the Internet way before they did. Unlike millennials (or boomers) they aren’t full of themselves and don’t take credit for the myriad of things that they enjoyed, that Gen X should really get credit for.
And like one reader, Sai put it, this started off being about an attitudinal shift but ended up being a defense of all their shortcomings. So typical of millennials as usual.
Well, I’m hoping Gen Z learns from their Gen X seniors and is more diligent and concrete than these flaky millennials (barring a very few) who simply talk a lot but in reality, are good for nothing!
That attitude was mentioned in the article. Older generations hate on millennials for nothing. If gen z join this hate then it’s going to be the most hated generation
the other generations hate millennials because they take credit for things they didn’t do like this: “it was the transitory period from the pre-internet to the post-internet era, when information was handsy if not readily available 24×7, and this makes the millennials the only generation that can boast about living through two different eras in their youth.” – this is not true and you know that
Millennials are a bunch of manipulative, worthless people that don’t do nothing for society, always blaming other generations for things that are their responsability.
I love how this nonsense has blown up. It’s the second article I’ve read about this weir tiktok trend.
Sure, genZ called us “lame” – nice, so we can all forget about how boomers destroyed the economy and the environment then shamed us for their mess. This “problem” is obviously bigger. Some college kid thinks my skinny jeans look stupid. How will I survive.
lol really? So now the millenials are hating on immature kids who are still learning which is, gen-z? this is absolutely absurd. Despite of focusing on real issues you’re gonna start a war between two generations? Very immature. Pathetic
Why are we even worrying about generational conflict when there real problems were facing? Who are these people that claim they care abt world issues but spend their freetime creating more? This goes for both generations, and I say this as a member of one of them.
Overt Generalisation..
The article really took a turn from being a funny take in beginning to a very serious warning comprising of very false ego and proudness.
Nevertheless a good one